Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing - Tamashii no Meian
by Lady Naru Ryoko
Summary: Erm... A continuation saga. 'Twill be a bit dark methinks... Suicidal depression, main character deaths, and language. R+R makes Serena happy, and a happy Serena writes!
1. Intro/Prologue

Prologue

Hey! This is Lady Serena. Thank you for taking an interest in my story. Here's a little background information:  
This is a fanfic done for Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing. Gundam Wing is the story of 5 teenage guys with minor mental problems who pilot Gundams. They are Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei. These Gundams are your typical anime "Huge Robots That Beat The Ever-Loving Crap Out Of Everything". Sound interesting? You can bet yer ass!  
  
For a more in-depth look at this series visit http://endlessdedication.tripod.com/  
  
This Fic takes place about a year and a half after Endless Waltz. The Earth and Colonies are at peace and all is pretty much well. The pilots share a house in Tokyo, Japan because it seemed like a nice place to be. In this city, a 17 year-old girl is in her last year of high-school. She, Serena, is an orphan, cared for by her grandfather's family on the L4 colony. She is plagued with mental problems, as she and her parents were in a particularly gruesome car wreck and her parents were killed. She was old enough to remember it all. Serena has many talents as well as unusual and mysterious gifts. Unfortunately for all of them, indeed all the Earth and Colonies, a distant evil is stirring, and only one person knows and can help save the world because of her mysterious gifts...  
  
WARNING : Some of the original characters are missing, sometimes the characters will be out of character. There is some adult language and there might be a couple of adultish scenes. ^O^ (limes or snogging) This fic also switches between the experiences of the 2 main characters, Serena Thompson and Duo Maxwell, (in that order) so don't get confused. If you can't tell who it is that's talking, don't worry. It will make itself apparent, eventually...  
  
And now, as Trowa says: "Don't worry, this will be the best performance you have ever seen."  
  
Ja Ne! Happy reading!  
Lady Serena ;* ^^;  
  
P.S. - This fic was originally written for Kat's Story and Poetry Lair: Sorika's website. I decided to revise it and put it up on ff.net because it's, well, my pride and joy! This is actually my second fic, and Heero's Angels is my *counts on fingers* fifth. Kami only knows how many times I will have to revise this... It writes itself I swear and everything gets all... smegged. As for the main character's name: This is not a self-insert. I repeat: This is _not_ a self insert. Thank you.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Discliamer: My apologies to Bruce Campell. I own two things: Jack and shit. Jack left town.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A plane flew overhead. It circled a dark structure in the distance once, and dropped something. The sky exploded in a blaze of red and orange light. A small car swerved sharply and hit a 6 foot thick concrete barrier head-on.  
Screeeechhhh... Boooommmm!!!  
A small 9 year-old girl emerged from the wreckage of the car, her left arm hanging limply by her side. She was covered in scratches from the shattered glass, and bleeding from a cut on her head. She groped her way towards the front passenger door to ask her parents what happened and to see if they were OK. When she managed to get the door open, she saw the mangled and bloody bodies of her parents. She cried out, she knew her life had changed forever.   
She sank to the ground and retched. When she came to her senses, she moved away from the car because she knew it would explode. She couldn't say how she knew, she just knew. She was 20 feet away when the car exploded and sent the fuel-fed flames into the still orange sky. The blast knocked her off her feet. She hit the ground and moaned, she could feel the darkness coming to embrace her when she Saw a figure. A man, clothed in the darkness, was before her. He smiled with his blue eyes - Shinigami. Shinigami would rescue her, he would save her, she knew it...  
She passed out with a smile on her face.  
  
In Block 5 of a mental ward, a girl with dark hair and dark violet eyes woke up from an old, painful dream. She screamed "Shinigami!!"as she scratched and bit herself in punishment for the Seeing. The nurses came in to subdue her and strap her arms to the bed. It was the 3rd time that night, the 10th time that week. She had been in and out of various institutions since her parents had died 5 years ago. A pity, they said. Such a pretty girl, they said, with great possibilities, if only she was sane. She had her good days, you could tell because she would sing like an angel all day long and be cooperative and nice to the other patients. On her bad days, she would retch on purpose, refuse to eat or sleep, and injure just about everyone around her. Such a pity, they said. The girl screamed and cried out for her "Shinigami".  



	2. The beginning...

Chapter1

Copyright : All characters are property of their creators. "Breathe" is property of Faith Hill or whoever wrote it.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Serena, can we quit following them now? If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were very on to us."  
"Quit your whining will ya, Kat?!"  
Didn't she understand that following 2 incredibly fine guys took lots of concentration? On top of that, I was positive I had seen their faces before and I was busily racking my brain trying to remember. The one with the blonde hair looked more familiar than the other with the braid.  
"If you want to quit, go ahead and catch a ride home because I'm staying and you still can't drive by yourself."  
Kat was not pleased that I had brought up that fact. She narrowed her eyes at me, but allowed me to drag her into the nearest store because the cuties had turned around.  
  
"Are they still following us Quatre?" I said as we turned back around.   
He casually glanced over his shoulder ,"Yeah. So what do you plan to do about it?" He stopped in front of a mirror to get a better look at them. I stopped to look too, they were pretending to look at something. I ignored his question because I didn't know.  
"Does that tall one still look familiar to you Q-man?"  
"She sure does Duo. I just can't place her though. It's annoying..." He squinted in concentration.  
"What's annoying, them or your memory?"   
He chuckled ,"Just my memory. They're interesting. How long do you think they followed us before we caught onto them?"  
I shrugged. Just for kicks though, I turned around and looked straight into the tall one's eyes. She looked calmly back into mine until I turned back around.  
Quatre nudged me ,"Hungry?"  
I smiled ,"Always."  
  
~*~*~  
  
I couldn't stop shaking. Kat was worried.  
"What?" she asked.  
"There's something in his eyes...", I shook myself one last time, refused to admit that it could be happening to me again, and smiled ,"You're right, they're probably on to us. Let's get something to eat shall we?"  
We moved on to the food court, got our food, and sat down.  
I was happily looking around when I caught a familiar pair of green eyes, and nearly choked on a French Fry. So did the green eyed guy. I drank some Coke, swallowed the fry and attacked my favorite uncle.  
"Holy crap! I thought I recognized you Quatre Winner!"  
"Serena! Where have you been? I haven't seen you in years! You've grown so much, I didn't recognize you."  
"So have you Quatre. I thought you were still out and about spreading peace and so on."  
Quatre and I hugged. Kat and Quatre's companion were obviously extremely lost. Qua-chan's friend became verbal.  
"What the hell is going on Quatre? You know I hate being left out."  
"Duo", Quatre smiled at me and the guy with the braid ,"this is my favorite (I gave him a look) er... only niece. She is the only daughter of my late next-oldest sister. We think of each other as cousins though because we're so close in age."  
The braided one turned to me and smiled ,"So you must be 17 too."  
I nodded,"My name is Serena Thompson." I offered my hand.  
He shook it.  
"And this is my friend Kat. He shook her hand too.  
"And you are?" I asked.  
"Shi - er, Duo Maxwell, I'm also 17." Then he looked into my eyes, and I recognized what was in his.  
  
I didn't know Quatre was an uncle at 17, and I most certainly didn't know that his niece was that girl that had been stalking us... Her eyes,now that I was closer, were a dark violet, almost black. They gave me the willies, but they were strangely beautiful. Almost like they had seen, and their owner had been through, intense pain and sadness: things I was no stranger to.  
  
I saw madness and depression, pain and destruction, and chaos and death. I silently screamed, because I saw a black spirit in his eyes: a gundam, and recoiled in intense, silent pain. My head throbbing and my stomach roiling, I gripped Quatre's hand and buried my head on his shoulder so I wouldn't have to see those eyes. He looked at me in alarm.  
"We'll be right back, he said to Kat and Duo.  
We left the food court and sat down on a bench. I was relieved to get away from - him. Quatre held me by the shoulders and shook me gently. His face was serious.  
"What did you See Serena?"  
I gagged. I fought for control of my mind so I could answer him; It wasn't working.  
"Serena, what did you See?" Quatre's voice was firm and commanding.   
I concentrated on it and managed to say ,"What is wrong with him? Quatre, who is he?"  
"Who? Duo?"  
I gagged again.  
"Good answer. Well, he was pilot, like me, during the war. Pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe as I recall. Is that what you saw?"  
I shivered and nodded. "The smell of blood and death, the visions of violent war and insanity and the screams of the innocent as they die in pain. I don't like him -- he frightens me."  
Quatre laughed ,"Why?"  
I felt much better as the sharp, painful edge of the Sight faded from my mind. Quatre always had that effect on me. I thought for a moment and said, truthfully,"I don't know."  
Quatre looked like he was thinking hard, so I let him. He snapped out of it shortly and said ,"I know just the thing - this mall has a karaoke place."  
He looked at me hopefully. I laughed and squeezed his hand ,"Good idea, let's get Kat and Duo."  
  
~*~*~  
  
I couldn't believe what I was doing, and yet, it was fun. We were singing karaoke, and we had been for at least 2 hours. Kat refused to sing so she picked or suggested songs to do. I had done one solo. Quatre had done 2 solos, 3 duets with Serena and a couple of boy band numbers with me. Serena was the queen of karaoke: She had done 4 solos (one request for each of us), had a hand in almost all aforementioned things (backup and such) and had even goaded Kat into a duet with her. During Serena's and Kat's duet, Quatre asked ,"Will you do a duet with Serena? Your voices would really complement each other's."  
I thought it would be fun so I nodded. Kat chose a song I was totally unprepared for, "Breathe" by Faith Hill, mine and Hilde's song -- before we broke up that is.  
I went with it anyway. The music started and I listened to Serena's clear voice as she started the first verse:  
  
_I can feel the magic floating in the air   
Being with you gets me that way   
I watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've   
Never been this swept away  
  
All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze   
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms   
The whole world just fades away the only thing I hear   
Is the beating of your heart_  
  
I joined her on the refrain. Our voices mixed together in perfect harmony. I smiled, Quatre knew what he was talking about.  
  
_'Cause I can feel you breathe   
Just washin' over me   
And suddenly I'm melting into you   
There's nothing left to prove   
Baby all we need is just to be   
Caught up in the touch   
Slow and steady rush   
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?   
I can feel you breathe   
Just breathe  
_  
I took the second verse:  
_  
In a way I know my heart is waking up   
As all the walls come tumbling down   
Closer than I've ever felt before   
And I know and you know   
There's no need for words right now_  
  
I should have been unhappy that I wasn't with Hilde anymore, that I was alone, yet again. I wasn't. I was happy for the first time in a long time, but I was confused too. Maybe it was her, I realized as I heard Serena's voice join mine again:  
  
_'Cause I can feel you breathe   
Washin' over me   
And suddenly I'm melting into you   
There's nothing left to prove   
Baby all we need is just to be   
Caught up in the touch   
The slow and steady rush   
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?   
I can feel you breathe   
Just breathe  
  
Caught up in the touch   
The slow and steady rush   
Baby isn't that the way that love's supposed to be?   
I can feel you breathe   
Just breathe_  
  
We both sang the last part softly:  
  
_I can feel the magic floating in the air   
Being with you gets me that way _  
  
~*~*~  
  
Kat was talking to me, but I wasn't listening.  
Quatre pulled me to the side and asked ,"Are you still scared of him?"  
I grinned as I realized what he had done and said ,"You conniving little munchkin. No, I'm not afraid of him, I sighed as I remembered what I had seen with the Sight ,"just what made him this way."  
As was his habit, Quatre lifted his hands to heaven as I made known this last revelation.  
"Ohhh, heaven help us. You and your Sight, he said smiling and gave me a hug.  
"Speaking of The Sight, Quatre, there is one more thing I should tell you before the memory gets blocked: something bad is going to happen, the Sight showed me a bit... It has to do with the peace... I think it's going to end... I don't know for sure, just be prepared. OK?" I hugged him back, trying to look like I was only telling him about the weather.  
He gave me a phone number and explained ,"This is my phone number, some other people live with me, but I should usually be there. Call me if you need anything."  
Giving me one last hug, he then turned and left with Duo.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Okay, so it starts off sappy! Big deal! It gets better, just bear with me...  
  
  
  
  



	3. In which our heroes take tea...

Chapter2

I dreamed about her. I was in a field of silver grass, bordered all around by a forest of shining, golden trees. Serena was standing in the middle in a long white dress, her brown hair blowing free. She was singing. It wasn't singing with words; she was just using her voice like an instrument and she was perfectly in tune with the wind blowing through her hair. I happily ran toward her.  
  
I called her name and she turned around to look at me, I stepped back in horror. There was blood; dark, wet blood, all over her hands, dress, and face. The skin around her eyes was red and puffy: she had been crying.  
  
She smiled and said, Duo Maxwell, I will not hurt you. You know that.  
  
What happened? Why were you crying? I asked.  
  
Serena replied, The peace is over, Duo. People are fighting and dying for the peace they believe in again. I have Seen it...  
  
  
  
Another war must be fought now. More people must die. This could not have been avoided though. The path of blood has been chosen, and the journey is only in one direction... the Gundams must fight again.  
  
What?! You mean all we have fought for, all we have done is... gone?!  
  
Yes, never to be regained. Unless you fight, we can never recover the peace that has been destroyed...  
  
The dream faded and I woke up in a cold sweat. Was it real? It couldn't be...  
  
~*~*~  
  
Come on! Somebody pick up! PICK UP NOW DAMMIT!  
  
Woman! You don't have to yell or curse. I was coming as fast as I could... said the male voice on the other line.  
  
Oh, goodness! I'm so sorry... Ano... Is uh... Quatre in?  
  
The other person sighed, Just a minute... He covered the mouthpiece and I heard a muffled: Quatre, some weak onna wants to speak to you.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I need to talk to you, like now. Can I see you?  
  
Sure, Duo has a date at that new restaurant, so I'll just head out with him. Do you think you could meet me there?  
  
It's the tea and sushi place right?  
  
  
  
All right. When should I be there?  
  
He's leaving now, so I gotta go. We should be at the place in 20 minutes. See you.  
  
OK. Bye.  
  
*click*  
  
Duo has a date, eh? The Sight broke in and informed me that his date wouldn't be there; that I should be ready to handle Duo. It also told me that I could trust Duo, but I would be late. It faded. I sighed. Why did It always break in on my private thoughts? The phone rang.  
  
  
  
I've been looking for you my girl...  
  
To whom am I speaking?  
  
The voice was a young male. That was all I could tell.  
  
Never you mind, girl... I've finally found you... It took a long time... and now I've found you. I'm very happy... you're as perfect as expected... *click*  
  
Ooookay... That was creepy... I said. I looked at the clock.  
  
Holy shit!!! I'm going to be late... Dammit!!!  
  
~*~*~  
  
I knew I would be right. It was always like that: I knew things beforehand. Duo's date hadn't showed up but he was in his usual mood, I was late, and Quatre was already having tea. I sat down in the booth with Duo and Quatre, ordered some tea, and began to speak what was on my mind.  
  
The Sight has Told me that a war is coming. The evil is looking for us. The Gundams must fight or we will lose. I have Seen it...  
  
What are you talking about? What's sight? Duo asked.  
  
Sight. With a capital-S. Serena, you better explain... said Quatre.  
  
I snapped out of it. I remembered what the Sight had shown me about Duo.  
  
Er... OK. When I was 9, my parents died in a car wreck. I received something Quatre and I call The Sight, from the trauma. It, um, sort of lets me in on things. Understand? I purposely left out about the various turbulent mental stages I had gone through. I looked at Duo hopefully.  
  
He looked at me and I almost remembered something long buried, almost.  
  
Yes, I think I understand.  
  
Good. She explains it much better than I can. Quatre took a sip of tea.  
  
So anyway Serena, when do you think this is going to happen? Quatre asked.  
  
I shrugged.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A war is coming... the Gundams... my dream... Serena's Sight. I decided I should inform them.  
  
Ano... Serena? I've been having a dream lately: could you tell me what it means?  
  
Probably. What did you dream about? she asked me.  
  
I told them all that happens in the dream. I also told them how I'd had it every night for 2 weeks, since we met at the mall.  
  
That's easy. It means exactly what you think it means... war. What is interesting to me though, is I was in your dream, giving you the bad news. Hmmm... Quatre, have you had a similar dream?  
  
To tell you the truth, I haven't slept much lately.  
  
Serena raised her eyebrow and smiled slightly.  
  
What?! I just haven't been tired... Quatre said protectively.  
  
I broke in on their little fake fight.  
  
Serena, just guess, all right. When does it seem like this is going to happen?  
  
Her tea arrived just then. We all waited patiently until the waiter left, then resumed the conversation.   
  
She took a deep breath, I'm pretty sure it will happen sometime in the next month...  
  
We all wandered off into our own worlds.  
  
Speaking of odd, Serena said, sipping her tea, I had this phone call before I left...  
  
~*~*~  
  
Tired... I wonder why my date didn't come... Oh well, who needs her... And what about the peace... It will be destroyed... Why... We need the Gundams now... Where are they... Destroyed most likely... That dream... Serena's phone call from "no one"... How creepy... The peace... That sucks... So tired... Good thing I'm home now...  
  
I wonder... Should Quatre and I tell the other pilots... I should ask Serena to see what she thinks... Serena... Quatre's niece... She doesn't look anything like him... She's sweet like him though... I wonder what Hilde is doing... Why am I wondering... I could care less... She left me... Solo... I miss him... Father Maxwell... Sister Helen... I miss them too... I wonder what my parents were like... I miss them also... Serena must miss her parents too... Hmmm... Serena... Why in the hell am I confused... Shit... I'm tired...  
  
~*~*~  
  
Hmmm... Why has the Sight come back to me now... Interesting... It is more powerful than ever... Who is that person that called... Hmmm... I wonder what Duo is doing... Why am I thinking about him... He reminds me of someone... I can't remember... Quatre... My uncle and my best friend... Tea... Kat... I'm jealous of her... She has parents... She's never spent time on a nut farm either... Gundams... The peace... The Sight... I See bright yellow... I Hear sand dunes... I Smell fresh water ... Someone is poking me...  
  
Quatre? What are you doing?' I looked up at him groggily.  
  
Ano... I... came to see you? he said looking guilty.  
  
Yeah right! Who sent you? Out with it! What agency is using my best friend to check on me this time!! I was angry. I was also sick and tired of those damn mental health people sending Quatre.   
  
I am perfectly sane now and handling everything just peachy without being strapped to a bed!  
  
That's enough of that! I put my ass on the line to get you out of that hell-hole! I promised them that you were fine and that you could function normally! I don't give a damn about them. I have to check on you, for both of us. If you fuck up just once, you have to go back, and I know that is not what you want because I sure as hell don't.   
  
Quatre was rarely this forceful with anyone. I was stunned.  
  
Quatre, you're right. I'm sorry. I've just been stressed lately... I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes. I felt like shit. I had made him remember how lonely he was while I was on the funny farm.  
  
It's alight, we're all worked up about something.  
  
He hugged me. I felt that weird sensation again: I Saw the happy yellow color, Heard the sand blowing and Smelled the clear water.  
  
Uhh... Quatre?  
  
  
  
Were you poking me, before I woke up?  
  
He nodded. *ding-dong*  
  
I'll get it, I said.   
  
I went to the door.  
  
  
  
Ah, yes. I am Dr. X. You must be Serena. I have something very important to show you, my little bird, said the smiling young man in the white lab coat.


	4. In which the pilots and Serena go to sch...

WHASSAP

WHASSAP!? Here we go... Chapter 3. Took me long enough, ne? This chapter here really has next to nothing to do with the plot... it seemed like a good idea at the time all right!

~*~*~ 

I hated transferring schools; it was pure torture. At least at this school the uniforms weren't too bad. The guys wore navy blue pants and white shirts, and the girls wore _short_ plaid, pleated skirts in blue, green and white, with a white sailor top and a plaid tie of the same colors. I had said I wouldn't attend a school where the girls' skirts weren't at least 2 inches above the knee... However, I knew it wouldn't really be that different from the rest. No matter where they were, they gave you the same look and asked the same questions when they found out what you used to do...

"Hey Maxwell! Somebody told me you used to pilot those huge machines in the war!"

Of course I told the truth: I run, I hide, but I never lie. Once they find out, they keep their distance. That was not what I wanted however; I wanted to be a normal seventeen-year-old with a normal life. It wasn't so bad now that we were fighting again, and had been for 4 months, but still...

~*~*~

The teacher had mentioned in passing that we were going to have 5 new students today. It was weird because it was so late in the year... After some major pestering, I managed to get her to spill that fact that they were all guys. I was really hoping they were cute. Kat passed me a note from behind.

I hope they're cute!!!!

I grinned and wrote back.

Yeah really

~*~*~

"Class... your attention please!"

A rubber band whizzed by her head. I could barely stifle my laugh; and, looking around to see who had done it, spied a girl with long brown hair in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She was also sitting very close to the front -- practically on top of the teacher. She seemed very familiar and didn't notice when I tried to get her attention by waving.

"These are our new students. Let's let them introduce themselves."

Another rubber band -- tailed closely by a paper clip, stuck in the teacher's hair. I looked at the other guys to see if I had to be first -- I did.

"My name is Duo Maxwell."

I took the empty seat next to the dark-haired troublemaker. She was staring out the window, totally oblivious. I sighed; this would be difficult, but at least she wasn't staring mindlessly like the rest of the class was...

"My name is Quatre Raberba Winner; the pleasure is all mine."

She still wasn't paying attention.

"I am Chang Wufei."

She continued to stare out the window.

"Trowa Barton."

Whatever was outside that window must be really interesting...

"Heero Yuy."

I couldn't stand it any longer; my curiosity killed the non-existent cat. Easing over and putting one hand on her desk to keep myself from falling out of my chair, I could see what she was looking at: nothing but blue skies and green grass. Fairly interesting considering we were in school but...

"Mr. Maxwell!"

I shot out of my chair.

"Yes'm?"

"Please leave Miss Thompson alone; you can see her after class."

The class giggled at the implied relationship. I grinned, but could feel my face get warm anyway. I sat down quickly and tried to pay attention, but my thoughts turned instead to the girl next to me. Thompson. Thompson... Thompson?! I hastily scribbled a note and passed it to "Miss Thompson".

Serena?

She looked at me for the first time since I had joined the class -- with those purple eyes. She bent her head to the paper and wrote back.

Hey Duo.

What's wrong?

Bored. . .

Ditto... When's lunch?

She sighed out loud -- obviously exasperated with me, and looked at the clock.

The bell will ring in less than 5 minutes. . . Ya'll were kinda late.

~*~*~

*_Brrrrriiinnngggg!!_*

I got up and stretched. I could feel my skirt ride up and felt the staring of the various males in the room. I loved to torture them... I grinned. Kat came up with her lunch in one hand and mine in the other. We went outside quickly to avoid the swarm of nerdy guys that asked me to sit with them everyday. My bad behavior must turn them on or something...

In the hallway I bumped into one of the new guys -- literally.

"Gomen nasai..." I pressed my palms together in an apologetic gesture.

He looked at me for a second "Quatre wants to see you."

He then grabbed my wrist and hauled me off with Kat trailing and my skirt rising -- again.

He took us the rest of the way outside. We stopped under a tree on the grounds where he released me. The rest of new guys were also under the tree, sitting, eating lunch.

"Ninmu kanryou" he said unemotionally to no one in particular as he sat.

"Good for you, Heero..." responded one with a black hair in a tight ponytail.

I calmly sat in the only open spot in the circle, next to Duo, and made Quatre on my other side make room for Kat.

"Quatre, I wasn't paying attention in class (Quatre sighed): could you introduce me to your friends that I haven't met please."

~*~*~

Only half-listening to Quatre make the introductions, I scanned the grounds for a certain someone. I spotted him when he was still a good ways away. Chastising myself for the fiftieth time since I had upset the guy that morning, I turned to the nearest girl so I could attempt to explain what I was doing before I did it. Thereby, hopefully, reducing the chance that I would be slapped. It happened to be... Serena. _This is gonna cost me..._ I looked back, the guy was coming up fast: a little too fast for my comfort.

"Uhhh, Serena..."

"Yes, Duo?"

"Whatever I might do, just go with it and try to play along. The rest of you, no matter what I do or say, keep your mouths shut. Okay?"

I got a good number of reluctant but curious yeses. I looked slyly over my shoulder and inwardly tensed: now was the time to use my brain and act, _if_ I valued my life that is. 

"Gomen, gomen, gomen..." I said under my breath like a mantra as I grabbed Serena's hand and pulled her close to me.

She raised her eyebrow questioningly but went along with it. Quatre looked like he wanted to rip my head off and shit in the hole for touching his niece. The antagonist was less than 2 feet away now and the moment had arrived for my act of shameless self-preservation. I pulled Serena even closer, wrapped my arms around her and began to have an interesting looking make out session. The nice _gentleman_ tapped me on the shoulder.

"You said you'd fight during lunch, little girl" he said, insulting my taste in hairstyle.

I detached myself from Serena and gave him a winning smile. Serena figured out what I had meant by "play along" and put her head on my shoulder. I could hear her mumbling about something the something out of someone...

"I also said I would fight you if I wasn't already busy with my _girlfriend_."

Just for good measure I kissed Serena again; I was really enjoying pissing this guy off even more than he already was. It was then that the guy recognized who I was kissing. He got a look in his eye almost like -- fear.

"S - S - Serena?" he asked nervously.

She moved away from me and looked the guy in the eyes.

"Go. Away. Now."

I latched onto her mouth again. Watching from the corner of my eye, I was astonished to see a 200 pound goon move as fast as greased lightning. However, this train of thought was abruptly derailed when -- 

*_SMACK!_*

"Itai! Shimatta Serena! What was that for?!"

She raised her other hand and - *_SMACK!_*

"Ok! I get the point! Jeeze..."

At this point, I took a look around our little circle, massaging my face. Kat's mouth was hanging open. Quatre was bright red with anger and his eyes were narrow slits. Heero's mouth was twitching like he was fighting hard to keep from laughing his ass off. Trowa was hiding his mouth behind his hand and his shoulders were shaking. Wufei was recovering from a sudden nosebleed. 

Weird...

~*~*~

Well, that was interesting -- Duo's mind touch was a bright, happy, blue. He was also gingerly touching his cheeks. I almost smiled -- he looked like he'd had a run-in with an escaped mental patient who had managed to get their hands on some _really_ atrocious blush...

"Why, pray tell, braided baka, did you do that?!"

"He wanted to fight me..." he said, looking sheepish.

Trowa cut in: "Him, Heero and Wufei keep getting us expelled... Duo for starting, ending and getting involved in any fight under the blue sky, Heero carries weapons onto school grounds and Wufei makes an enemy out of just about every female that sucks oxygen..."

Heero, Duo, Quatre and Wufei blinked. 

"I think that is the most I've ever heard you say in one go" said Heero.

Trowa gave him a sly look that seemed to say "and you're telling me this because?" Damn, Trowa was... well... cute. Hell, they all were... I slightly shook my head to bring me back to the problem at hand.

Turning to Duo, I said "So, you didn't want to fight him because you would get expelled. That would mean you would have to switch schools again, and that would mean in turn, that you would have to deal with people thinking you're going to kill them because you're a pilot..."

I drifted off into my own thoughts.

"Hai" he said, still rubbing his face.

I rummaged in my lunch box and produced one of those lunch box cooler packs. I gave it to him.

"Sorry for slapping you, but, there were other things you could have done to get out of that situation that did not involve my tonsils in such an intimate manner... In fact, next time, you should use Kat: she's a lot less likely to be so surprised that she slaps you. She _might_ even enjoy it..."

Duo grinned, Trowa smiled ever so slightly and Kat opened her mouth to retort, but never did, because at that second a volley of laserfire erupted in the distance. We all hit the dirt. When the firing stopped the guys jumped up, and produced small black boxes. Five huge machines came out of the woods behind the school: the gundams. Quatre turned to me and took me by the shoulders.

"Go inside" he said in a tone that plainly refused argument.

I grabbed Kat by the wrist and ran. About halfway to the school, I stopped. 

Turning to Kat, I smiled and said "Duty calls, girlfriend."

Kat nodded and kept running.

Pulling my pistol from it's holster on my thigh, I then got out my own box and pushed the button. I ran after the Gundams who were now flying towards where the shots had come from and rang up X on the cell.

*_Ring!_*

"Yes, Syren?"

"We've got a situation here, X..."

I drew my other pistol from my other thigh and ran into the woods, ready to board Nemisis.


End file.
